Shoe-fastener.



` H. ICHHARA..

SHOE FASTENER. APPLICATION 'FILED 0m21.191s.

` Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

HIDETARO ICHIHARA, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON,

SHOE-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed December 27, 1916. Serial No. 139,220.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HIDETARO IGHIHARA,

a subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing Y at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vashington, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shoe-Fasteners, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in shoe fasteners, and the object of my invention is to provide a shoe that shall embody a plurality of fastening devices which are so associated with the two edge portions of the bifurcated part of its upper leather that said devices shall be wholly concealed from view when said two edge portions are fastened one to the other by said devices; and which shall `be so constructed and disposed that they shall be adapted to be manipulated more quickly in the operations of fastening together said two edge portions and unfastening the same one from the other in such manner that said two edge portions may more quickly and with less eEort be fastened one to the other and be unfastened one from the other than has been possible with respect to shoes heretofore made.

I accomplish this object by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein* Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a shoe embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the same in front elevation;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the same in horizontal section on broken line 3, 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view of a detail of the same;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another detail of the same;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the detail shown in Fig. 5; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary views in perspective each of a modified form of another detail of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, throughout which like reference numerals designate like parts, 9 and 10 indicate respectively the two edge portions of the bifurcated part of the upper leather of a shoe.

The edge portion 9 is formed smoothly to overlap the edge portion 10 when said two edge portions are fastened together. The fastening devices include a plurality of catch-hooks, each of which is formed of a strand of wire bent into substantially U- shape with the ends thereof formed into eyes by which the same is secured to the upper edge portion 9 of the shoe beneath the inturned edge thereof as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

Each of the catch-hooks 11 is adapted to hook under and releasably catch an oppositely disposed one of a plurality of other fastening members 12, which fastening members 12 comprise a continuous thread which is loop-stitched through and along the edge portion 10 at equi-distant points thereof by loop-stitches 13, in the manner more clearly shown in Fig. 4, between adj acent ones of which loop-stitches 13 may be disposed respective ones of the catch-hooks 11 in an obvious manner to fasten the edge portion 9 smoothly on to the edge portion 10 so that no parts of any of the catch-hooks 11 or the fastening members 12 can be seen.

The catch-hooks 11, instead of being made of pieces of wire, may be made each of sheet metal in the form shown in Fig. 6 with two eyelets 14 which form will serve as well as will those made of wire.

In place of the fastening members 12 and their loop-stitches 18, there may be employed integral fastening members 15 comprising a length of wire extended throughout the length of the edge portion 10 and provided with a series of loops 16, as shown in Fig. 7, which loops 16 may be fastened by thread in positions corresponding to the positions of the loop-stitches 13.

Another form of integral fastening devices, that may be used instead of the fastening members 12, is shown in Fig. 8 and comprises a narrow strip of sheet metal provided with eyelet holes 17 spaced apart for the required distance to form the fastening the fastening members 12.

A shoe whose upper leather is bifurcated and whose bifurcated portions are adapted to be releasably fastened one to the other in the manner illustrated and described will expose no parts of its fastening devices and will more smoothly and comfortably ft ones foot and ankle than will shoes heretofore made.

What I claim is: y

A shoe-fastener for the overlapped sections of a shoe upper, comprising a plurality of catch-hooks and a keeper, each catch-hook being formed of a wire strand bent to substantial U-shape with the terminal ends formed into eyes and secured beneath the in- A l members 18 which correspond in function to turned edge of the carrying upper sectonh In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe the keeper belng formed of a Wlre element my nume tlns 21st day or December, A. D. provlded at equldlstant p'olnts Wrth looped 1916.V

portions by which theszune is secured to the HIDETARO ICHIHARA. I

5 outer side of the underneatlrupper vsection 'Y VtnesseS:

and presentlng unrestrleted spaces for the L Y Y H1305 SHIIHARA, receptlon of the lndlvldual Catch-hooks.l s VFRANK WARREN.

Copieso this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. s 

